Preliminary toe-former.



A. BATES.

PRELIMINARY TOE FORMER.

APPLICATION FILED DEC, 6. 1913 1,117,631, Patented Nov. 17, 1914.

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THE NORRIS F'EYERS c0. PHOTO-L/THQ. WASHINuYON. a. c.

TED snares PATENT orrron.

ARTHUR BATES, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATTERSON, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PRELIMINARY TOE-FORMER.

Application filed December 6, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR Barns, a subject of the King of England, and residing at Leicester, Leicestershire, England, have invented certain Improvements in Preliminary Toe-Formers, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indi- 1 eating like parts in the several figures.

This invention relates to machines of the type adapted to form the toes of the vamps of boots and shoes and provided for this purpose with a toe-shaping die and with holding devices between which the work is clamped so as to be permitted to slip therefrom in order to provide the material required by the toe-shaping die as the latter advances in forming the toe. Machines of this type are described and illustrated in my prior application Ser. No. 762,346, filed April 19, 1913. As represented therein the toe-shaping die is arranged to be moved relatively to the holding devices into engagement with the vamp held by the latter. This relative movement is continued, and the said die, as it carries the adjacent portion of the vamp with it, forces the holding devices to give up material in order to form the bulge of the toe thus shaped.

It is found desirable that the whole or the greater part of the material given up by the holding devices be supplied by the front 01 the vamp. According to a feature of the present invention this result is effected by arranging the vamp-holding devices o that the portion thereof that engages the vamp across the back of the toe is of such character that, for a given clamping pressure exerted by the said devices, it otl'ers a great resistance to the slipping of the work in comparison with the resistance offered by the other portion of the said devices.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, as applied to a machine of the kind described in said application, Ser. No. 7623526. It is to be understood, however, that the invention could be applied to other forms of machines for forming the toes of the vamps of boots and shoes; further that the invention could be embodied in a variety of forms without departing from the spirit of the said invention.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a side ele- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17, 1914:.

Serial No. 805,156.

vation, partly in section, of a machine embodying the invention in its preferred form; and Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the workengaging devices shown in Fig. 1.

Like reference characters indicate like parts in both the figures.

The machine comprises a base 1 at the front of which work-engaging devices are accommodated. These devices comprise a spindle 2 which at its lower end carries a toe-shaping die i, and a recessed work support 5 over which the work is placed and which forms a second shaping die that cooperates with the toe-shaping die. The recess in the work support is formed in an interchangeable work plate 6 which is inset in the work support and, in effect, forms a part of the latter. Means are provided for moving the toe-shaping die downward into engagement with the work supported on the work support 5 when a handle (a part of which is indicated at 7) is operated. The work support is pivoted at its rear end at S to the frame of the machine and is supported at its front end upon the upper end of a stud 9 screwed into a boss in the base of the machine. turning the said stud in one or the other direction the work support can be rocked about the axis of its pivot 8 to bring it to the desired inclination to the path of movement of the toe-shaping die.

A. plate 10 encircles the spindle 2 and the hole in the plate through which the spindle passes is made somewhat larger than the diameter of the spindle. A spring 12 is provided which surrounds the spindle 2 and presses upon a washer 13 the under surface of which is formed as part of a sphere and which engages a corresponding shaped seat on the plate 10. The plate is pressed down upon the upper portion of the toe-shaping die by means of the spring 12. To the lower side of the plate 10 is secured a ring-shaped clamping foot lt which surrounds the toe shaping die and which when the said die descends engages the work upon the work support 5 and holds it while the toe-shaping die moves relatively thereto to shape the work. This method of mounting the clamping foot l-l enables it to have a tilting movement on the spindle 2 to accommodate itself to the varying inclination of the work support. These parts of the machine are substantially the same as has been heretofore proposed.

In accordance with the present invention the front part of the clamping foot 1% or thatportion of the foot which engages the material farthest from the extremity of the toe has a cut-away part into which is fitted a toothed metal block which is held in place by screws 16 which pass through holes in the foot and are screwed into the said block.

Into the part of the worl; support 5 which,

is Opposite the said toothed block is fitted a rubber pad 20. In the present instance this pad is let into the front part of the work plate 6 and it engages the upper across the baclr of the toe adjacent to the toe caprseam,

L being heid in placeby countersunk screws 18.

From the foregoing it will be understood that when the foot 1a is moved into engagement with the work support 5 to grip the work and when the toe-shaping die thereafter moves into engagement with the work the portion of the material which is held between the metal block 15 and rubber pad QO'will be gripped more firmly than is the material engaged by the other part of the foot 14, 2'. 6., the portion of the material at the front of the toe, so that While this latter portion shall be enabled to slip from the restraining means as in prior machines, the

block 15 and pad prevent or allow. only a little slippage so that no material or practically no material is drawn toward the toe of the vamp.

In the construction illustrated, the work is put in the machine with the flesh side or interior part upward so that the rubber pad 20 engages the outside surface of the work and the toothed block 15 the flesh side, thus.

sides, and the back of the toepar-t ofa vamp along a line between the toe part and the instep part of the vamp, means for, operating said devices, a toe former and means for operating the former, said holding devices being constructed and arranged to cause the portion thereof which engages the vamp between the toe part and the instep part of the vamp to prevent slipping of the work from the instep toward the toe after the resistance offered by other portions of the holding devices to slipping of the work has been overcome.

2. A machine of the class describedhaving, in combination, a toe former, means for operating it, and vamp holding devices including a serrated plate made of rigid material and located to engage the fleshv side of the vamp across the toeadjacent to the tip seam and an elastic pad arranged opposite to it to engage the grainside of the vamp, said parts being constructed and arranged to hold the vamp from slipping at the tip seam with greater security than do the other holding devices cooperating with the toe former. I

3. A machine for shaping the toe portions of vamps, having, in combination, a, toe former and means to operate it, and vamp holding means constructed and arranged to hold the vamp on the sides and the end of the toe so that it can. slip or move toward the toe former as the former descends into the vamp, said means being constructed and arranged to hold the vamp on aline extend ing across the toe near the tip seam so that it cannot slip and comprising for this latter purpose a toothed bar to engage the flesh side of the vamp and a non-abrasive clamping member cooperating therewith.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR BATES.

Vvitnesses:

FREDERICK WIL IAu WORTH, LEONARD WARWICK.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

